Tag: USU Aggies

Utah State Football: Players to watch on Offense and Defense in 2020

The players to keep a close eye on in 2020 for USU.

[jwplayer 8KnRaLLR-sNi3MVSU]

Contact/Follow @SamMcConkie & @MWCwire

Who will stand out and elevate the Aggies?

With the 2020 season (hopefully) coming up on its opening date, Aggie fans have plenty to look forward to in terms of on-field talent being displayed. I expect many of the players on this list will flourish compared to where they were last year. Some are in their final years of eligibility, and others have much to prove after being sidelined for various reasons.

Without further ado, here is my list of the top players to watch on offense and defense for the 2020 edition of the Utah State Aggies.

Defense

1. CJ Pollard, S

USU hit the jackpot with portal transfers this off-season. Pollard comes in as a graduate transfer from USC with one year of eligibility remaining. For a young defense that needs all the help it can get, Pollard is a greatly needed addition to bolster the defensive backfield.

With the Trojans, Pollard totaled up 30 career tackles, 3.5 for a loss and 0.5 sacks in three seasons. Though these numbers are modest, Pollard was nonetheless a very highly rated prospect coming out of high school. The physical talent and measurements are certainly there to succeed in Utah State’s scheme. His presence in the backfield will greatly help out senior Shaq Bond as the defense looks to do better than its 86th rank in 2019 for 238.6 passing yards allowed per game.

2. Hale Motu’apuaka, DL

The sophomore defensive lineman recently made it back to the team after an off-season hiatus. As a freshman in 2019 for the Aggies, Motu’apuaka tallied 13 tackles (5-solo, 8-assist), which included 0.5 tackles for loss, to go along with one quarterback hurry. He red-shirted in 2018.

With the Aggies abandoning the 4-3 base defense in favor of the 3-4 scheme they have traditionally run, this player is ripe to make a jump in production for the team. He has excellent size and measurements and he’s certain to be a key part of the defensive line rotation along with SR players Soni Fata and Caden Andersen.

Even if he doesn’t get a ton of tackles or make flashy plays, Motu’apuaka will be able to take up blocks and clog the middle against opposing rushers with ease. His natural fit in USU’s traditional scheme will significantly bolster the rush defense, which gave up a dismal 201.9 ypg in 2019.

3. Eric Munoz, LB

Aggie fans no doubt remember Munoz’s memorable heroics in a slugfest vs the Pokes in 2019. Though it was just his first career start, Munoz made the most of it as he recorded a career-high 13 tackles, including 0.5 tackles for loss, and nabbed two interceptions, including the game-winner. After the game, he opened up on his struggles to find playing time at different schools and how he finally broke through for the Aggies.

Making the story even sweeter, Munoz earned a scholarship within a week after the Aggies retained the Hawkin rifle trophy against their Mountain division rival.

With the switch over to the 3-4 scheme, Munoz will have an excellent opportunity to put his stamp on this year’s defense along with fellow SR Kevin Meitzenheimer. He’ll be afforded more opportunities to blitz opposing QBs and more chances to ensure his final year of eligibility ends with a bang. His emotion is as refreshing as it is inspiring.

[lawrence-related id=31390]

Offense

1. Jaylen Warren, RB

My regular readers know how high I am on this senior running back. Nonetheless, I don’t think it can be overstated just how important Warren is to the rushing attack this season. If he were to go down with an injury, it would be a savage blow to a position group that struggled previously struggled to establish genuine consistency. Ranking just a modest 73rd in 2019 with 152.2 ypg, USU’s run game needs to do better this year if they want to improve on their 7-6 record.

When Warren is healthy, he’s a load to tackle and he runs angry. He’s also a legitimate pass-catching threat as well, so it helps stifle any temptation opposing defenses have to stack the box against him. Warren carried the ball 112 times for 569 yards (5.1 ypc/47.4 ypg) and five touchdowns last year. Those are strong numbers in a vacuum, and they will get better if he avoids the injury bug in 2020. His spot on the 2020 Doak Walker Award watchlist is well justified and he may just be the best offensive weapon USU has going forward.

2. Jason Shelley, QB

With Henry Colombi transferring to Texas Tech, the Aggies desperately need strong leadership at the QB position to calm the team waters. Fortunately, Jason Shelley may be just what the Aggies need to succeed in 2020.

Shelley is a true dual-threat QB, which is very much in line with the QBs Andersen has recruited to USU in the past. Combined with the run-heavy emphasis the Aggies will be relying on this year, his skillset is naturally-attuned to this offensive scheme. Shelley earned five starts at QB for the Utes and overall produced 1,428 yards of total offense, combining 1,205 passing yards and 223 rushing yards. If runners like Warren ease the pressure on him, don’t be surprised to see this QB turn into an All-league talent by season’s end.

3. Justin McGriff, WR

USU’s passing game last year was good, but it nonetheless left something to be desired. The recent addition of JUCO transfer Justin McGriff will hopefully boost the passing offense closer to where it was in 2018.

He is the third-highest rated commit in Utah State history, according to the 247 sports composite ranking. In his one year at ASA Miami, Justin pulled in 25 receptions for 360 yards and 8 touchdowns, some very solid numbers. In terms of size, he’s quite similar to former Aggie star receiver Ron’quavion Tarver. With McGriff’s presence on the field, the Aggie offense will have a chance to be multi-dimensional again. McGriff can also win the jump ball battles USU often failed to get in 2019.

No disrespect to senior receivers Savon Scarver and Jordan Nathan, but they’ll produce more for the team with McGriff’s services, which makes him a player that both fans and opposing teams will need to keep a close eye on.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1377]

Utah State Football: Offensive Preview

Aggies have a potentially great offense on their hands if they can put the pieces together

[jwplayer RXKIyfcF-sNi3MVSU]

Contact/Follow @SamMcConkie & @MWCwire

Plenty of preseason intrigue for this Aggie offense

If football is played this year, Utah State has plenty of interesting story-lines on their offense. Late season transfers, both incoming and outgoing, have fundamentally shifted the focus and identity of this offense. On top of that, the Aggies return plenty of experience in their receiver corps. Combined with having a new offensive coordinator, this side of the ball has the opportunity to flourish if the pieces can effectively come together.

Quarterback

To the surprise of just about everybody, the Aggies landed grad transfer Jason Shelley out of Utah. The signal-caller has two years of eligibility left and can start playing immediately.

He carved a name out for himself as the Utes’ starter in 2018 after starter Tyler Huntley went down for the season due to injury. Shelley played well, all things considered, scoring key victories against the Oregon, Colorado, and BYU as the starter. His efforts helped send the Utes to the PAC-12 championship game against Washington that year. T

hough the offensive wheels came off against the Huskies, Shelley finished the 2018 season throwing 1,162 yards for 5 TD and 6 INT while rushing 63 times for 192 yards and three scores.

Those are decent stats that can only stand to improve with more time to be groomed as the proper starter. He’s shown the ability to be elusive with his feet, so any extra dimension this offense can get is positive for Utah State. Considering how many times the Aggie offense stalled last year in third-and-short situation, an extra body the defense has to respect boosts this unit’s chances of success.

Depth is more precarious behind Shelley, however. With the departure of Henry Colombi to Texas Tech, an unmistakably big loss, the Aggies will need to rely on largely unproven backups in case Shelley needs relief. Returning from injury will be SO Andrew Peasley.

He showed tremendous promise with his legs early last season, but it’s unknown how well he can throw the ball. Playing in garbage time against Stony Brook doesn’t say much about how he can contribute this season. His injury against the Sea Wolves almost certainly hampered his progression, and redshirt freshmen Cooper Legas and Josh Calvin haven’t played at all.

[lawrence-related id=30880]

Running Back

Utah State’s backfield is looking much better now than it was even just a couple of months ago. The Aggies received extremely welcome news with the addition of another graduate transfer in Devonta’e Henry-Cole. He looks to end his final year of eligibility on a high note and this offense may give him just what he needs. He originally signed with BYU, but had a change of heart late and received a release from his NLI.

At Utah, Henry-Cole put respectable numbers in a limited role. He rushed for 451 yards on 86 attempts in his last two seasons, including four touchdown runs. In a deep unit for the Utes, he managed to average over 5 yards per carry.

For the Aggies, Henry-Cole gives badly needed production for a unit that lacks depth behind SR Jaylen Warren. With an experienced teammate to help him out, Warren can reasonably split carries now and hopefully avoid any injuries that plagued him last year.

When healthy, Warren was a load to tackle in 2019 for opposing defenses. He rushed 112 times for 569 yards and five touchdowns, good for 5.1 yards per carry. Plus, he is on the preseason Doak Walker watch list for the best running back in the nation.

If Warren can avoid injury this go-around, the duo can easily carry the load on the ground while younger backs like FR John Gentry and FR Elelyon Noa find their footing. There will be plenty of touches for the older backs and it will help younger backs adjust to the system. Both Gentry and Noa are talented and have impressive offer lists, but they still need to crank out production when they can.

[lawrence-related id=31390]

Pages: Page 1, Page 2

Utah State Leads The Race for #2 Seed in MW Tournament

The Mountain West title has already been won, but a battle is brewing for 2nd place – and a spot on the other side of the bracket from SDSU.

[jwplayer 9FEfL71c]

Utah State Leads Six Teams Vying for #2 Seed in MW Tourney

Aggies have the inside track, but any slip-ups could cause chaos

Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire

SDSU has already clinched the top spot, but how will things play out beneath them?

With the Mountain West regular season title already locked up by San Diego State—and with the Aztecs focusing on bigger things, like a potential #1 seed and a chance to cut down the nets in Atlanta—the major storyline in the league has shifted to who will finish in second place.

Currently, there are five teams leading the fight for the Mountain West’s silver medal: Utah State, Colorado State, Nevada, Boise State, and UNLV. The Aggies currently hold a half-game edge over the Rams and Wolf Pack, with the Broncos a full game back. UNLV is in sixth place, but their 8-6 record is only one and half games off Utah State’s pace.

Why is the race for second place so important?

Because with undefeated San Diego State on the other side of the bracket, the teams that finish in second and third will have a few extra games before they have to play the Aztecs. The teams that earn the #4 and #5 seed will face the difficult task of playing an above-average team in their first game and SDSU in the next.

With just two weeks remaining in the regular season, each game holds massive sway over seeding for the Mountain West Tournament. To give you an idea of just how contentious these next few weeks will be, take a look at some of the big matchups remaining on the schedule:

  • 2/18 – Nevada @ New Mexico
  • 2/18 – Colorado State @ UNLV
  • 2/22 – UNLV @ San Diego State
  • 2/23 – New Mexico @ Boise State
  • 2/25 – Colorado State @ San Diego State
  • 2/26 – Boise State @ UNLV
  • 2/29 – San Diego State @ Nevada
  • 2/29 – Utah State @ New Mexico

With so many important games remaining, there are myriad scenarios of how the standings will look on March 1. Here’s a quick investigation into how each team can find their way to second place in the Mountain West.

NEW MEXICO (17-10, 6-8 MW)

Remaining Schedule: 2/18 vs. Nevada, 2/23 @ Boise State, 2/26 @ Air Force, 2/29 vs. Utah State

Yes, that’s right. The Lobos are still in it.

New Mexico is currently in seventh place and below .500 in league play, but they have just enough rope that if everything goes right—and it really is almost everything—they could end up finishing in second place.

Here’s how: Wyoming would need to beat Utah State and Nevada. San Jose State would need to beat Colorado State, Utah State, and UNLV. Air Force would need to beat the Rams in Fort Collins. If all of that happens, and New Mexico takes care of its own business against the Wolf Pack, Broncos, and Falcons, it would set up a spectacular season finale in The Pit.

If the Lobos could win that game, then New Mexico, Utah State, Nevada, Boise State, and Colorado State would all finish with a league record of 10-8. Tiebreaking procedures dictate that the team with the best record against these opponents will receive the highest seed. The Lobos and Aggies would move into a two-way tiebreaker by virtue each having gone 4-2 against these opponents.

The tiebreaker then moves to head-to-head record, which would give New Mexico the advantage—the final game of the season would be the only regular-season meeting of the two teams.

There is virtually no chance that all of that would happen. But the mere fact that it is even still a possibility is amazing, considering how quickly the Lobos have fallen off the map after their 15-3 start to the season.

UNLV (13-14, 8-6 MW)

Remaining Schedule: 2/18 vs. Colorado State, 2/22 @ San Diego State, 2/26 vs. Boise State, 2/29 @ San Jose State

It would still take some major chaos in the Mountain West for the Rebels to finish in second place, but it’s not as far-fetched as New Mexico’s bid. UNLV has plenty of roads into second place—even without a win over San Diego State.

Like New Mexico, the Rebels would really need Utah State to fall apart down the stretch, with the other three teams currently ahead of them stumbling as well. But UNLV could lose to the Aztecs and still finish 11-7. A handful of scenarios could see the Rebels sitting clear of everyone else in the #2 position.

Interestingly, if the Rebels can’t land in the #2 or #3 spot, they may actually have better luck down as the #6 or #7 team. They could stay away from San Diego State and will still have the benefit of playing at home for the Mountain West Tournament.

These scenarios are much, much more likely than the Rebels finishing second. But even more likely is that one of the next four teams will take home the silver. [CONTINUED]

[lawrence-auto-related count=1 category=1379]

Pages: Page 1, Page 2

USU Football: Keys to victory over Kent State

Aggies and Golden Flashes square off in third annual Frisco Bowl for bragging rights

Contact/Follow @SamMcConkie & @MWCwire

USU looks to end season on strong note against Golden Flashes

Bowl Season: Utah State (7-5) vs Kent State (6-6)

When: Friday, December 20th, 2019 – 5:30 pm MST

WHERE: Toyota Stadium; Frisco, Texas (20,500)

TV: ESPN2

STREAMING: Sling TV – Get a seven-day free trial.

RADIO: Utah State radio broadcast on 1280 the zone (1280 AM), 1280thezone.com / Tunein.com

ODDS (via ESPN): Utah State -6.5

Three Keys to a Utah State victory

1. Get excited

It’s no secret just how uninspired and unmotivated USU looked against New Mexico in the regular season finale. Yes, Utah State won the game by double digits, but they didn’t look good for much of it. Thanks to a quick avalanche of mistakes and turnovers by New Mexico, the Aggies posted a dominant second quarter. However, the Aggies got outscored in the second half. In the final quarter, they didn’t score at all and looked like they were just trying to get out of Albuquerque as soon as possible.

Against Kent State, a flat performance could prove costly and end this season on a sour note. Kent State is going to a bowl game for the first time since 2012, and this is just their third bowl appearance in school history. The Golden Flashes are going to be plenty motivated to win this game and snap their winless postseason streak. Coming into the game, they’ve won three in a row, all within one possession. USU has done well in close games themselves this season, so they must take this upset-minded team seriously and come out swinging.

2. Lean heavily on the run game

Gerold Bright has a great opportunity to finish his senior year with a bang. He’s rushed for a solid 827 yards and eight touchdowns through the regular season. Against an extremely poor run defense like Kent State’s, he should be able to have a career game. He may not eclipse his season-high of 179 rush yards against Colorado State, but a monster performance is very much within reach and would put him close to 1,000 yards for the year. If Jaylen Warren is finally healthy enough to consistently help out, both of these backs can do some heavy damage to the Golden Flashes.

3. Contain Dustin Crum

Though Kent State will be hard pressed to win a defensive struggle against the Aggies, they can give themselves an excellent chance at winning in a shootout. QB Dustin Crum fuels Kent State’s offense with a good arm and dangerous rushing ability. He not only leads his team in net rushing yards, he rarely makes mistakes. Crum set a school record by completing over 68 percent of his passes, and his 18:2 touchdown to interception ratio is one of the best in college football. The sheer number of yards he’s responsible for on the season may not look eye-popping, but he’s made every one of them count. 

This quarterback plainly has enough offensive balance to keep USU’s defense guessing. The Aggies have gotten burned on deep passes a lot this season, and that trend will continue unless the Aggie D-line can generate some much needed pressure. USU has only gotten a moderate number of sacks this season, coming in at 83rd in the NCAA with 22. It’s time for this defense to step up its game or risk getting an embarrassing loss.

Final Thoughts

USU has significantly improved its program in the last decade, making bowl games eight of the last nine seasons. Kent State is only in a bowl for the third time, having never won in the postseason. USU may look to end this decade on a winning note, but Kent State will be gunning for it extra hard.

This is going to be a close, hard-fought game. Even one or two mistakes could spell doom for either squad. In Jordan Love‘s last collegiate game, I expect him to have a convincing stat line burnished by a strong ground game from Bright and Warren. The Golden Flashes will never go away, but depth will come into play in the fourth quarter and the Aggies will come out and secure another trophy.

Utah State 38 – Kent State 34

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=645997210]

Frisco Bowl: Three Kent State players to look out for against Utah State

Kent State has a handful of good players that will factor heavily in the 2019 Frisco Bowl

[jwplayer 18QegcJn-sNi3MVSU]

Contact/Follow @SamMcConkie & @MWCwire

Kent State has a few notable players

It would be easy to dismiss a team like Kent State. The Golden Flashes only managed to go 6-6 in a relatively down season for the MAC. They also don’t have any particularly strong NCAA stats to boast of this season. This team only ranks in the top 10 in one  NCAA statistical category – 4th down conversion percentage – and they rank in the bottom 10 in total defense and run defense. None of these facts would strike much fear in opposing teams.

With that being said, the Golden Flashes have some good talent on their team that could prove pesky for the Aggies on December 20th. Here are three Kent State players to keep an eye on during the bowl game. They’ll play extremely prominent roles in the contest and will provide Kent State’s best chance of scoring their first ever bowl win.

[lawrence-related id=23593]

1. QB Dustin Crum (Jr)

Kent State isn’t exactly known for great quarterbacks, but Dustin Crum has quietly had a solid season for this team. He has thrown for 2,336 yards and 18 touchdowns with only two interceptions along the way.

At any level, those are admirable stats that show the signal caller rarely makes mistakes. Coupled with his strong arm, he’s rushed for five touchdowns and a little over 46 yards per game this season. Through the year, he actually is the leading rusher on the team. His relatively good offensive balance brings stability to an offense that has had some struggles this season, not unlike the Aggies. If he can stay upright, he could pose some moderate to big issues for USU’s poor secondary.

2. CB Jamal Parker (Sr)

This solid cornerback is a bright spot on a defense that has struggled mightily to stop opposing offenses. He’s helped anchor a decent secondary and has a team-high three interceptions on the year, a worrisome stat for an Aggie team that has turned the ball over a lot this season. Parker has also racked up a healthy 58 total tackles during the regular season. On top of his defensive duties, he’s put in good work on kickoff returns, including a 96-yard kick return for a touchdown against Eastern Michigan in the season finale win. It never hurts to have versatility.

3. WR Isaiah McKoy (So)

Adding some explosiveness to a just alright offense, speedy receiver Isaiah McKoy leads the team with 767 receiving yards and seven touchdown grabs. He’s produced some monster plays for the Golden Flashes when they’ve needed it and he appears to only be getting better. Season over season, his YPC total has increased from 10.1 to 15. Coupled with Crum’s arm, Utah State’s pass defense will need to be on point or risk getting burned. McKoy’s stats look a lot like USU’s Siaosi Mariner, so his role in the offense cannot be understated or underestimated.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1360]

[protected-iframe id=”c0286d6e1aad69344270e42782a7311d-137729785-123448869″ info=”https://anchor.fm/mwwire/embed” width=”400px” height=”102px” frameborder=”0″ scrolling=”no”]